What kind of protein should Women take?

dcholliday2

Hi,
I am 30 years old and know that I do not get enough protein. I like meat, but really don't want to eat it, nor do I have the desire for it all that often. I love peanut butter, but that's not the only way I want to get protein. I am also trying to get pregnant, so I don't want to put anything in my body that could harm my body or future baby's body during pregnancy. I was thinking of Whey protein? Someone told me about Isagenix protein (which is whey), but I wasn't sure about that--plus it's so expensive!

What success have you ladies had with adding protein supplements to your diet? What would you recommend? Have any of you taken protein supplements during pregnancy? Thank you for any advice!

p.s. As of right now I am maintaining weight, not losing. I'm not trying to gain weight either until I become pregnant.

sandradi87

I've been wondering this too. I'm lacto-veg. and my body never hangs onto muscle so I was hoping to add more protein. I think there's a brand called "Iso" something...it's suppose to have no fat or carbs. The only thing is I hate the taste of protein shakes (tried my hubby's before) but I think if they're good quality, the taste might be no prob.

meshashesha2012

i take whey protein, but my main protein comes from meat eggs and seafood.

schninie82

I feel like that too... All I eat is chicken chicken chicken sometimes and it's annoying! I know oily fish is a good source too! Are you uk or USA?

trud72

any meat,dairy,nuts,seafood in basic oh and pulses too!

iron_jj

Greek yogurt, nuts, beans, theres also plant based protein powder (soy, rice, hemp and so on)

MaryMangan31

You'd be surprised by the amount of protein in leafy greens - think of horses and elephants - how muscular they are, but what do they eat?
We should be eating a lot of greens, too!

On top of that - you might want to consider rice protein. Whey and soy are the most popular/common types, but American diets are on soy overkill because it's in EVERYTHING. Read the ingredient list in anything, and you'd be surprised - you're always eating soy! Too much of anything isn't good, so you probably shouldn't add to it. And when it comes to whey (from milk) and rice (...from rice) -- rice is going to break down easier, which makes it more available for your body to work with.

There are some other options - I saw pea protein the other day - but then you get into the difficult-to-find and difficult-to-afford stuff.

In short - eat your greens, your beans/lentils, and consider supplementing with something if you feel it's super-necessary.

fatty_to_fitty

how do you know you do not get enough protein? Do you ache after exercise? Why do you think you need more protein?

seeled

I have a whey protein shake and I am still not getting enough protein!

haheisick

Hi! I take two kinds of protein shakes that are vegan, gluten free, with NO soy or whey. I like them because they have no added sugar, and because personally soy products make me gain weight! All that naturally occuring estrogen. I think whey protein is appropriate for men and women who are actively trying to build muscle AND lifting big weights on a regular basis. Whey repairs muscles after a workout, from what I understand. If you have too much of it and not enough necessity for it, you'll probably gain weight. I know I do! Try these:

Olympian Labs "Pea Protein"
Nutribiotic "Rice Protein"

They are ok with water, but waaaaaaay better with 1/4 cup of milk (I drink skim) mixed in with water!

tamtamzz

whey protein, milk, tuna, cheese, eggs and chicken is how I get my protein. I drink two shakes a day with milk and that puts me way ahead of things. I buy a 5 pound tub on Amazon. If I didn't use shakes, it would be hard for me to hit my protein goal for the day.

k2quiere

Oh my...:devil:

drusilla126

I like the taste of whey protein but I have heard some people don't. Not sure what to think of soy. I saw Jillian Michaels on the Doctors saying basically to stay away from it if you're a woman because of something to do with hormones I think but then Dr. Oz said it was best if you want to keep your curves so I'm quite confused.
Aside from supplement confusion I get my protein from greek yogurt, cottage cheese and chicken. Feels like all I eat.

KStambulic

whey protein, milk, tuna, cheese, eggs and chicken is how I get my protein. I drink two shakes a day with milk and that puts me way ahead of things. I buy a 5 pound tub on Amazon. If I didn't use shakes, it would be hard for me to hit my protein goal for the day.

I agree. Without the whey shakes, I find it hard to hit my protein goal. I have Body Fortress (chocolate) sold at Walmart because I can't afford to buy the more expensive ones. Don't really care for them much but it's not bad with milk. Some other protein sources are higher in carbs than protein and I already get plenty of those.

peachyxoxoxo

I use rice protein. I'm vegan and prefer it over any kind of soy protein because I already get a lot of soy in my diet.

cgrout78

i do whey protein...usually ON brand that i just buy on amazon

i also eat a lot of eggs and cheese and greek yogurt.

I do eat a lot of meat though too.

plbrown81

Oh my...:devil:

Ahahahahaha...

There's no "special" protein to eat. Eat healthy foods - chicken, fish, egg whites, eggs and whey protein. Leafy greens are healthy, as are some plant products such as soy (though soy is the MOST GMO if that's something you're trying to avoid), as is greek yogurt and low fat cottage cheese (though dairy products can cause other side effects if you're lactose intolerant ). Most pork is now pretty low fat as well, and can be a nice break from chicken so long as you don't slather it with BBQ sauce.

DarkFlutter

I'm in the same boat.
Here's what I have found so far...

Protein supplement: UNJURY brand. They have several flavors. You can even order a sampler off their website to try the flavors before ordering a big tub of it. My favorite is the Chocolate Splendor. Mix with milk for chocolate milk. Mix with coffee for a Mocha drink. It's great. I don't use it everyday, just when I need an extra boost of protein...it has 20 grams!

I also enjoy the Nature Valley Protein Bars. Dark Chocolate/Peanut Butter is my favorite.
One bar is: 190 cals, 12g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 170mg sodium, 14g carbs, 5g fiber, 6g sugar and 10g protein.
I generally eat one a day. I would do more, but I watch my sugar intake.

Yoplait brand Greek Yogurt has 2x the protein...8g
I like the Honey Vanilla flavor as I don't like fruit in my yogurt.

rosawash

I use Isopure unflavored powder. It's 100% all natural whey protein with 26 grams of protein, 0 carbs, 0 fat, and 0 sugar. It tastes awful with just water but I usually use skim or unsweetened almond milk with a scoop of nestle chocolate powder and it taste great that way.

ironanimal

o.o

Women need different protein?

BinaryPulsar

Right now I am taking Vega Sport Performance Protein (it is made from seeds). It does not taste good (I blend a smoothie with berries, unsweetened cocoa, matcha, unsweetened cranberry juice, stevia, lemon juice). I may try some of the options mentioned here (or some other vegetarian seed protein, not soy protein). I know it is better to get protein from food (and I do), but it's just not always enough for me (when I don't get enough protein to sustain my exercise I feel muscle pain). I didn't take protein powder during my pregnancies, but if I were to have more children now (not planning that), then I probably would. When you do get pregnant, taste will probably matter a lot because we are more sensitive to tastes and smells (everyone is different). My midwife always had great advice about nutrition. All of us pregnant women have different needs to meet. I needed lots of iron. Antioxidant rich foods (nuts) are important for the skin during pregnancy/birth.

rawfull

There is protein in all vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. According to the China Study, the healthiest people have an intake of 5 to 10% of their calories from protein. Protein from animals and dairy has a high association to an increase in breast cancer according to the China study. Whey protein is a waste product from the cheese industry.
There's a lot of financial interest in selling the public protein supplements.

Please don't associate not getting enough calories with protein deficiency. If you're getting enough calories, you're getting enough protein.

Take a look at all these "unhealthy" people who get about 10% of their calories from protein...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucHEVNX2c9o

Good luck in your journey...

mom2mozart

I like greek yogurt - I usually buy Chobani 0% fat or Fage 0% fat. Really high in protein and pretty versatile. You can use it as a substitute for sour cream or eat it sweetened - with fruit or honey. Also, I love cottage cheese. Nice because they both contain calcium which is beneficial.

ironanimal

Take a look at all these "unhealthy" people who get about 10% of their calories from protein...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucHEVNX2c9o

Those people all look very skinny. Sure, you can do lots of exercises on such a diet but fast-acting energy is what you need for high intensity exercise, so carbs are ideal.

Just my 20p.

cPT_Helice

Increased soy intake in women increases our risk of breast cancer due to it mimicking estrogen in your system...... not the good estrogen. (There are different types) If you want the full science behind this, and there have been numerous studies published in respectable journals, you can Google search it.

Whey is best. I use Jarrow and get it from Vitacost.com, who I have found to be the cheapest course.

Now, do you need it? Are you lifting heavy? Are you training very hard in cardio, so as to break down muscle and need to build it back up? If either is the case, you should be taking in 1.2-1.5g of protein per Kg of body mass (this is for athletes - not for just moderate exercise). If you are are exercising moderately, 0.8g per kg is sufficient. Remember, you can take in too much protein, if it goes unused.

In my opinion, the more you can get from whole foods, the better: lean meats, fish, tuna, shrimp, nuts, nut butters, greek yogurt, eggs, cheese, peas and beans, cottage cheese, chocolate milk (<~~~ found to be great for recovery after a work out and will boost your protein intake and perfect during pregnancy).

Also, if there is a day you are a little low in your protein requirements, try some frozen greek yogurt (nice treat) topped with fresh berries or chopped nuts and also Luna Protein Bars are delish!!

Good luck!

cPT_Helice

o.o

Women need different protein?

No!

rawfull

Take a look at all these "unhealthy" people who get about 10% of their calories from protein...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucHEVNX2c9o

Those people all look very skinny. Sure, you can do lots of exercises on such a diet but fast-acting energy is what you need for high intensity exercise, so carbs are ideal.

Just my 20p.

Interesting evaluation.
So, do you see this guy as skinny?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbEUHCU_GtM

Just curious...

darkchocolate68

Since you are concerned about becoming pregnant, it seems like real food would make you feel more comfortable. The two highest protein sources in my diet daily are cottage cheese and Fage Greek yogurt. I also eat lean meat, eggs, string cheese and beans. I feel so much better eating a high protein, moderate fat (good fats) diet. I used to eat to many carbs. I still eat carbs, but the good kind, like 100% stone ground whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, etc.

jadesign19

I like the taste of whey protein but I have heard some people don't. Not sure what to think of soy. I saw Jillian Michaels on the Doctors saying basically to stay away from it if you're a woman because of something to do with hormones I think but then Dr. Oz said it was best if you want to keep your curves so I'm quite confused.
Aside from supplement confusion I get my protein from greek yogurt, cottage cheese and chicken. Feels like all I eat.

I don't know what Jillian michaels said, but I have a thyroid condition and soy will interfere with my medicine. I stay away from soy also because of the estrogen factor. Soy is in many processed foods especially protein bars.
Good luck to you.

ironanimal

Interesting evaluation.
So, do you see this guy as skinny?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbEUHCU_GtM

Just curious...

Nope, but then one of the first things he covers is his primary source of protein.

fatty_to_fitty

o.o

Women need different protein?

No!

This is kinda why I asked. I don't get the question and wonder if the OP had some specific problems that need addressing?